Johannesburg---The International Cricket Council (ICC) this week predicted Zimbabwe would have a mountain to climb if they were to come away with a positive result from their tour of Bangladesh.
The Southern African team is in Asia for a series of One Day Internationals (ODIs) starting in Mirpur today (Thursday).
The challenge for Zimbabwe is a tough one especially after Bangladesh’s recent run of success in the ODI format at home against New Zealand, ICC media liaison, Lucy Benjamin, told The Zimbabwean from United Arab Emirates.
Bangladesh are playing their best cricket in years and last month secured a 4-0 win in the five-match series against highly-ranked New Zealand. The second game was abandoned due to rain. It was the Asians first win over the All Blacks in that format of the sport.
A similar series win for Bangladesh over the visiting Zimbabwe could see the team rise to 70 ratings points and occupy eighth place, pushing West Indies to ninth spot. Should Bangladesh win the series 3-2 or lose it by any margin it will not rise in the championship and Zimbabwe has the opportunity to rise up to tenth place.
Meanwhile, India has the chance to regain its second place in the Reliance Mobile ICC ODI Championship when the side faces New Zealand in its five-match ODI series that begins this week in tomorrow in Guwahati, India.
Currently Sri Lanka is in second position with 118 points – one ahead of India. But all this could change depending on how the various upcoming series pan out between India and New Zealand, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe and also the Sri Lanka versus West Indies ODI series.
If India wins it five-match ODI series against New Zealand, it is guaranteed second place in the championship table even if Sri Lanka beats the West Indies in its upcoming series.
A 5-0 win for India will put it on 121 ratings points – seven behind Australia who currently top the table. Should Sri Lanka win its series against West Indies also 5-0 the side will sit in third place – while if India wins 3-2 it will still climb to second place.
Should India lose its series 5-0 to New Zealand it would see the side drop to fifth, while Dan Vettori’s team could rise to sixth should it beat Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men 4-1 or more. However a 3-2 series win would see the Black Caps rising to sixth on 101 points while India would drop down to fourth on 114 points.
Sri Lanka’s upcoming series against the West Indies could see the side relinquish its recently acquired second-place should Darren Sammy’s side beat Kumar Sangakkara’s men but even a 5-0 whitewash of the home side would not see the West Indies rise out of eighth place – it would reach 87 ratings points but still not move.
Zimbabwes tour of Bangladesh
2 December – First ODI, Mirpur
4 December – Second ODI, Mirpur
7 December – Third ODI, Mirpur
10 December – Fourth ODI, Chittagong
12 December – Fifth ODI, Chittagong
Post published in: Cricket